Block acknowledgment operation for multi-link WLAN

Abstract

Some embodiments of this disclosure include apparatuses and methods for implementing block acknowledgment (BA) operations for multi-link wireless communication networks. For example some embodiments relate to an electronic device including a transceiver and one or more processors communicatively coupled to the transceiver. The one or more processors transmit, using the transceiver and to a second electronic device, a first set of one or more frames on a first link and a second set of one or more frames on a second link. The one or more processors receive, using the transceiver and from the second electronic device, a first block acknowledgment (BA) frame on the first link and a second BA frame on the second link. The one or more processors further determine, based on received first BA frame and the second BA frame, a failed or missing frame of the first set of one or more frames transmitted on the first link.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electronic device, comprising:
 a transceiver configured to communicate over a wireless network; and 
 one or more processors communicatively coupled to the transceiver and configured to: 
 transmit, using the transceiver and to a second electronic device, a first set of one or more frames on a first link; 
 transmit, using the transceiver and to the second electronic device, a second set of one or more frames on a second link; 
 select, based on respective qualities of the first link and the second link, the first link for transmitting a block acknowledgment request (BAR) frame; 
 transmit, using the transceiver, the BAR frame on the first link to the second electronic device in response to a determination that no data is being transmitted on the first link and the second link; 
 receive, using the transceiver and from the second electronic device, a first block acknowledgment (BA) frame on the first link; and 
 in response to the first BA frame comprising feedback information for the second set of one or more frames transmitted on the second link, determine a failed or missing frame of the second set of one or more frames. 
 
     
     
       2. The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the transmission of the first set of one or more frames and the transmission of the second set of one or more frames partially overlap in time. 
     
     
       3. The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to retransmit, using the transceiver and to the second electronic device, the failed or missing frame on the second link. 
     
     
       4. The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 determine, based on the first BA frame received on the first link, a second failed or missing frame of the first set of one or more frames transmitted on the first link; 
 retransmit, using the transceiver and to the second electronic device, the second failed or missing frame on the first link; and 
 retransmit, using the transceiver and to the second electronic device, the failed or missing frame on the second link. 
 
     
     
       5. The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 retransmit, using the transceiver and to the second electronic device, the failed or missing frame on the first link. 
 
     
     
       6. The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein to transmit the BAR frame, the one or more processors are further configured to:
 transmit, using the transceiver and to the second electronic device, the BAR frame on the first link further in response to a determination that a BA window has been exhausted, wherein a size of the BA window is based on a number of frames that are outstanding and are waiting for acknowledgment. 
 
     
     
       7. The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the transceiver comprises a queue configured to store the first set of one or more frames, the second set of one or more frames, and the failed or missing frame. 
     
     
       8. The electronic device of  claim 1 , wherein the feedback information comprises a failed or missing feedback associated with a frame of the second set of one or more frames and the one or more processors are further configured to ignore the failed or missing feedback. 
     
     
       9. A method, comprising:
 transmitting, by a first electronic device and to a second electronic device, a first set of one or more frames on a first link; 
 transmitting, by the first electronic device and to the second electronic device, a second set of one or more frames on a second link; 
 selecting, by the first electronic device based on respective qualities of the first link and the second link, the first link for transmitting a block acknowledgment request (BAR) frame; 
 transmitting, by the first electronic device, the BAR frame on the first link to the second electronic device in response to a determination that no data is being transmitted on the first link and the second link; 
 receiving, by the first electronic device and from the second electronic device, a first block acknowledgment (BA) frame on the first link; and 
 in response to the first BA frame comprising feedback information for the second set of one or more frames transmitted on the second link, determining a failed or missing frame of the second set of one or more frames. 
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the transmission of the first set of one or more frames and the transmission of the second set of one or more frames partially overlap in time. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 retransmitting, by the first electronic device and to the second electronic device, the failed or missing frame on the second link. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 determine, by the first electronic device and based on the first BA frame received on the first link, a second failed or missing frame of the first set of one or more frames transmitted on the first link; 
 retransmitting, by the first electronic device and to the second electronic device, the second failed or missing frame on the first link; and 
 retransmitting, by the first electronic device and to the second electronic device, the failed or missing frame on the second link. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 retransmitting, by the first electronic device and to the second electronic device, the failed or missing frame on the first link. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 9 , wherein transmitting the BAR frame further comprises:
 transmitting, by the first electronic device and to the second electronic device, the BAR frame on the first link further in response to a determination that a BA window has been exhausted, wherein a size of the BA window is based on a number of frames that are outstanding and are waiting for acknowledgment. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first electronic device comprises a queue configured to store the first set of one or more frames, the second set of one or more frames, and the failed or missing frame. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the feedback information comprises a failed or missing feedback associated with a frame of the second set of one or more frames and the method further comprises ignoring the failed or missing feedback. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 9 , wherein the feedback information comprises a feedback of successful transmission associated with a frame of the second set of one or more frames and the method further comprises using the feedback of successful transmission. 
     
     
       18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor of an electronic device, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
 transmitting a first set of one or more frames on a first link to a second electronic device; 
 transmitting a second set of one or more frames on a second link to the second electronic device; 
 selecting, based on respective qualities of the first link and the second link, the first link for transmitting a block acknowledgment request (BAR) frame; 
 transmitting the BAR frame on the first link to the second electronic device in response to a determination that no data is being transmitted on the first link and the second link; 
 receiving a first block acknowledgment (BA) frame on the first link from the second electronic device; and 
 in response to the first BA frame comprising feedback information for the second set of one or more frames transmitted on the second link, determining a failed or missing frame of the second set of one or more frames. 
 
     
     
       19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 18 , the operations further comprising:
 retransmitting the failed or missing frame on the second link to the second electronic device. 
 
     
     
       20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein transmitting the BAR frame further comprises:
 transmitting, to the second electronic device, the BAR frame on the first link further in response to a determination that a BA window has been exhausted, wherein a size of the BA window is based on a number of frames that are outstanding and are waiting for acknowledgment.